Wet flue gas desulfurization (FGD) absorber towers generally contain a liquid bottoms product that is high in suspended solids. Ideally this slurry is recycled back to the absorber for subsequent spraying onto the flue gas, but first the suspended solids therein are removed so that only clean process water is returned to the tower. In order to accomplish such solids removal, downstream dewatering equipment is required. This dewatering equipment often consists of one or more storage/surge tanks, pumps, hydroclones, thickeners, clarifiers, filters, and the like. Furthermore, this dewatering equipment produces the desired process water as well as concentrates the solid particles removed therefrom into a more manageable form for subsequent disposal.
Unfortunately, such equipment is costly to procure and it occupies much valuable real estate in the vicinity of the absorber tower. Additionally, the operation and maintenance of such equipment requires a considerable amount of both energy and manpower.
It is thus an object of this invention to eliminate or at least substantially reduce the need for such downstream dewatering equipment thereby conserving both money and energy. Another object of this invention is to provide a means of removing the suspended solids from the liquid bottoms product before returning the resulting clean process water back to the tower. Still another object of this invention is to accomplish such solids removal/process water recycle in a manner that requires little real estate thereby further enhancing the economy of this invention. Yet another object of this invention is to utilize existing recycle pumps for supplying the bottoms product to this invention thereby eliminating the need for separate supply pumps. Still another object of this invention is to return the process water back to the absorber tower via gravity thereby also eliminating the need for additional equipment. These and other object and advantages of this invention will be come obvious upon further investigation.